Beard Road development in Fremont has opposition

by Aliyah Mohammed

Posted:
02/21/2013 02:42:15 PM PST

Fremont City Council voted to continue working on a plan for new housing in north Fremont but asked that more study concerning traffic and impacts be conducted after many local residents voiced opposition to the development on Beard Road at Fremont Boulevard at its meeting Tuesday.

Residents from the Northgate area packed the council chambers, most of whom were opposed to the new 63-unit development proposed by Tim Lewis Communities because they said it would result in high-density housing, worsening air and traffic conditions, increased crime and submit them to negative aesthetic and environmental effects.

The development at 34044 Fremont Blvd. and 3800 and 3858 Beard Road involves three parcels including a former roadside market, house and barn on 4.6 acres, as part of phase one where 45 residential units would be built. Phase two would involve converting a church site to 18 additional housing units, which would allow the area to maintain medium density levels.

All homes would be three stories and detached with 19 designed as front-loaded units (entrance and garage facing the street) and 44 as rear-loaded units (garage facing the rear of the unit). A large centralized common open space containing an evergreen ash tree would be approximately 5,500 square feet in size.

A concern brought up by residents at the meeting was the state of Beard Road, which they said is often used for drag racing. Many residents said they do not feel safe crossing it or using it because it is in a state of disrepair.

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Increased parking problems and resulting traffic congestion were of much concern to the residents who spoke at the meeting, including the president of Fallbrook Home Owners Association, Raj Patel.

If there are more residents in the area it will result in overflow and illegal parking, an increase in traffic in the area and loitering, Patel added.

"There is no common area in this new development," he said. "This is going to result in people coming and loitering in the communities that do have recreational facilities."

Local resident Maryam Beckett said that the developers were not thinking of the concerns of those who live in the area when constructing their plans.

"With the new units it's going to look like Ôthe projects' and deface our community," Beckett said. "There is already so much congestion, this development will only make it worse and have negative environmental impacts."

According to Associate City Planner Cliff Nguyen, the plans concur with every recommendation made by the planning commission. He said there are a minimum number of units proposed on the property. By Fremont zoning laws, the property could accommodate up to 100 units.

Several council members brought up development density as an issue and asked why no traffic study had been done.

Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan said she thought the current development was "too intense," and told the developers to "either continue to work with staff and bring it back to council or I am going to have to deny the project."

Councilmember Suzanne Chan did not agree that the density of the development would be an issue. New housing will attract new people who want to live in three-story houses, Chan said.

However, "I think there is more work that can be done, maybe with some more work we could in fact have a product that is more acceptable to the existing neighbors and the ones who will come," Chan said.

Mayor Bill Harrison entertained a motion to allow the plan to advance with the direction that was provided in order to make it better fit into the existing community, which was passed unanimously by the council.

Fremont City Manager Fred Diaz suggested the council convene for a study session to fully understand the ramifications of the current plan and what can be done to improve it, within the month.

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